Tuesday, February 18, 2014

One Step Closer to the MLS? St. Louis Soccer Club Owners Want USL Pro Team by 2015

Sergio Aguero, one of the top players in the English Premier League, plays Bosnia-Herzegovina at Busch Stadium.

Two St. Louis soccer club owners are working together to bring a professional outdoor soccer team back to town with lofty hopes of attracting a Major League Soccer franchise.

Tony Glavin, owner and coach of the St. Louis Lions, and Andrew Haines, owner of the St. Louis Ambush indoor soccer team, say they're submitting an application and rounding up investments for a new professional United Soccer Leagues team in 2015.

"We felt the timing was right," Glavin tells Daily RFT. "This has always been my goal. I think the area has been crying out for something."

Glavin says three recent showcase matches played at Busch Stadium and the Edward Jones Dome reignited passions for a professional team in St. Louis, long known in sports circles as the birthplace of American soccer.

"St. Louis has a rich history in soccer," Glavin says. "We want to capture that and bring it back to the arena."

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Jon Gitchoff

Bosnia fans light flares during the game against Argentina at Busch Stadium.